The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-04-21


10 tho Colonies of regiments or the staff. but
can even 90 down among the Lenienant-Col-
Onels and Majors. lt is not likely that be VIII
al this. however, but confine himself TO the COM
manders OF regiments. for even there he has an
unusual array of capable men, with excellent
War records, TO choose from. The ernbarrass-
ment Is 10 determine which Of many equally
good men lac shall prefer. There are 40 Col
oncs on the active list of the line, as follows:
Cavalry-lst, ". A. Dudley; ID. Nelson d.
Sweiizer; 81, Albert q. Brackett 4th, VIM. Il.
Royal. 9th, Wesley Merritt; 9th. Eugene A.
Carr; eth, James w. Forsythe; Sth, Elmer
Oiisi 9th, Edward Hatch 10th, Benjamin III.
GrleTs0n.
Artillery-lst, John c. Tidball; %. Romcyn
B. Ayres Sd. III. G. Gibson; 4th, Clermont l..
Best; 5lh. John Hamilton.
luiantTy-lst, VIM. y. Shafter; 2d, Frank
Wheaton; 81, John r. Brooke; 4th, VIM. Il.
Carin; 9Th, Geo. Gibson; 9th. Alexander Med.
McUook; 9TH, III. c. Merriam Sth, A. v. Rautz;
9th, john ). Mason: l0th. Henry Douglass;
nth. Richard C. Dodge; 10Th. Edwin L. Town
send; 18Th Robert s la Motto; l4th. Thomas
NJ. Anderson 18th, Robert L. A. Croftoni 10th,
Matthew VI. Blunt; 18th, Alexander Cham
bcrs; 18th, John 4. Yard; 18th, Charles III.
smith; 20th, L. S. Otis; 2lst, Henry A. Nor
row; 22d. Peter +. Swaine; 23d, Henry Nj.
Black; 2ith, Zcnas Il. Bliss; 18th, George i.
Andrews
Merritt, Carr. Hatch, Grierson, Ayres, Carlin,
and Kautz divisions during the war, while
Bracket, ridhall, Wheaton, Brooke Mason and
Morrow made fine regulations as brigade COM
mauders.
II is taken FOR granted that the President
will cOuAAe his choice TO n small number of
the older Colonies. The senior Colonel on the
list is Benjamin ii. Grierson, whose commission
is dated July 25 1866 Next TO MIN come Ed
ward Hatch and Charles II. Smith, whose COM
missions are also dated July %, 1866. These
/ three have thus been COlonels nearly 81 years.
Next i'm seniority are: George l.. Andrews,
Jan. i, ISL; A. V. Kautz, June g. 1874; Frank
Wheaton, Dee. -, 1874; Wesley Merritt, July
J, 1876; William r. Shafter March 4, 1879;
John r. Brooke March 20, 1873; A. @. Brack-
EFT, March 20, 1879; III. A. Morrow, April 27,
1879; Il. A. Carr April 90 1879; r. ID. Ayres,
| July Is 1879: h. =. Otis Feb. 8, 1850; A. Med.
| McCOOk. Dec Is. 1850, etc.
The rumors are that the choice lies among
Grierson, Hatch, Merritt, Kautz and Ayres, all
of whom are entitled 60 special consideration
by reason of their brilliant war records.
GEN. MERRITT APPOINTED.
Since writing the above the President has
| appointed Gen. Wesley Merritt Brgadier-Gen-
eral, a selection that will be very gratifying to
hosts of veterans who knew him daring the
war as a gallant loyal jealous, skilliul soldier,
d y
battlefield where he led his men. He was born
in New York, and appointed from Illinois to
West Point i'm 1855 lie graduated from there
aud was commissioned Second Lieutenant in
the 2d Dragons July !, 1860 He became
Captain in April, 1862. Was commissioned
| Brlgadier-General of Volunteers June, 1863.
! lie reoe we'd brevets for gallant and meritoriOus
services at Gettysburg, Yellow Tavern, Hawes's
Shop, Winchester, Fishers Hill, Five Forks,
aud for meritOrious service during the cam
paign, ending with the surrender of the Army
of Northern Virginia. The end of the war found
| him MaiOr-General Of Volunteers aud Lieu
| ant-COiOnel in the Regular Army. As COM
mander of division Of cavalry he won high
honor. lie was a year or two older than his
fellow division mmander-Custer, and the two
young officers made an admirable complement
10 each other. Both were equally daring and
| enterprising, and both handled their commands
with skill. But where Custer was daring, even
to recklessness and got out of many hard scrapes
by the skin Of his teeth" Merritt was disposed
60 study has ground well, and consider all the
contingencies before he made his movement.
TWO EX-ooNFEDERATE DIPLOMATS.
Last week Gen. Dabney H. Maurey was In
the city receiving his final instructions from
the State Department before his departure for
his post Of duty as Minister to Venezuela
Gen. Maurey was born in Virginia aud
graduated from West Point in 1916, when he
was appointed to the LIST MED Rifles In 1861
! he was a Captain and an Assistant Adiutant-
| General from which position he was dismissed
! June % lo6l for his secession proclivties. lie
rose 10 be Major-General in the rebel army,
| aud since the war has attracted some attention
! by his contributions 10 history" in which he
| invariably claims that regiment Of rebels
usually whipped a brigade of Yankees"
remember one article in which he related how
he drove of Sherman's army at Cbickasaw
Bayou with an astonishingly small force.
Gen. Alex r.. Lawton, who was likewise a
graduate from West Point and Major-General
in the rebel army, was appointed last week
Minister TO Austro- Hungary. This is the place
which il was supposed Gen. Egbert L. Viele
coveted. il will be remembered that Gen.
Lawton was two years ago appointed Minister
Co Russia but il was found that he could not
take the Office. since he was still laboring under
his political disabilities. lie has since had Con-
gress remove his disabilities, and now can bold
Office with the best Of them. He is the man
for whom the prison pen near Millen, Ga, was
named
NEW ANTAGONIST FOR pagan Bob"
Gen. George A. Sheridan is the latest cham.
pion Of the Christian religion TO enter the
lists against Col. Ingersoll aud it looks as il
the great apostle Of nidelity has met foemar
more worthy OF his steel than any that have yet
thrown down the gage TO him. Gen. Sheridan
opened his batteries in this city ia publ,
lecture a fortnight ago, which was so eloquent
30 brilliant and SO witty. that il attracted gen
eral attention. aud he was importuned 10 repeat
il, which he did last Sabbath evening TO a very
large audience, composed Of the best people ia
the city. He was introduced by Lieut.. Gen
Phil. Sheridan who, though no relative Of his
| is great friend aud admirer. The lecture wa
I so well received that Gen. Sheridan will prob
ably be asked 20 repeat IL in other cities. and 81
he may be considered as fairly launched upon
career upon the platform.
Geo. A. Sheridan was born in Millbury, Mass.
in lS40, and was in Chicago at the beginning
Of the war. He enlisted in the SD ILL.,, ant
was elected Captain Of Co. C. He was hadl,
wounded AZ Chckamauga, aud had TO leave TIA
service. lie went 10 New Orleans on business
became interested in politics there, and at
" tracted widespread attention by his talents 70
political oratory. The National Republican
, Committee sent him all over the North in eac
; Presidential campaign, and everywhere hi
! speeches were very effective. He held severa
/, offices in Louisiana aud gained his title @
? General as Acknowledgement of the State.
! REVIVAL OF THE SUNDAY LAWS.
For some reasons Of their own, which the
G have not thought fit 10 communicate 10 th
y public. the Honorable Commissioners in whoT
IL vested the government of the National Cap
tai decided 10 revive and put in execution som
quite stringent laws for the observance of Sun
day, which were enacted about the close of ID
: war Compared with other cities, WashngtO
i l.a H.